Problem With Drying Book

Its popularity is with self-adhesives that often have a gum that cannot fully be removed without damaging the stamp and it is applied to the back. Proper and complete gum removal is not an option with those stamps.

Not too concerned with talc for most stamps since they have already been in their life handled by fingers, stored in various plastics, papers and glassines, perhaps soaked in lighter fluid, and have generally speaking been around the block. I would be much more concerned with plastic chemicals, UV and bodily oils.

Note: Plastics contain talc.

Yes indeed many do, but you seem unwilling to acknowledge or differentiate between talc embedded within the structrue of the plastic during the manufacture and loose talc particles willingly added later by collectors.


To all, show us where the National Archives or the Smithsonian's Postal Museum or another major archive actively uses this as a regular, accepted archival practice, rather than individual collector anecdotes. Also, do some testing yourself and report back.

To get back on topic, some regular gum stamps still have gum on the back after soaking. Carefully lightly rub the back with your finger while the stamp os still wet and then back into a fresh bowl of water. Might have to repeat again.

Back off topic, not sold on the use of talc.

Silhat said in the OP:




In my opinion, this is where you missed...

I have soaked thousands of stamps in my life and have learned this life lesson. Whenever a stamp sticks when you are pressing them flat, the reason is because the stamp was too wet. You must let the stamp air dry until just a little bit of moisture is left, and the gum has hardened somewhat. Then, you can apply weights to press the stamp flat. Remember, if the stamp gum sticks to your finger, it is still too wet, and if the stamp gum does not stick to your finger, it has air-dried enough to be pressed. Try this and let us know.

Hope this helps you,

Linus

Minus : I think you are right : the stamps were too wet. I tried with another batch and use some absorbing paper.

The results are much more what I expected.

Thanks for your help.